 16th FESTIVAL DE JEREZ |
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Text: Gonzalo Peña Sala Compañía Dance: Karime Amaya; Cante: Raúl Leiva Amador, Joaquín Gómez Contreras, Rubio de Pruna; Guitar: Justo Fernández, Tati Amaya; Percusión: Juan Cristóbal Sánchez The flamenco evening began at seven o’clock in the Sala Compañía with the performance Mexico’s Karime Amaya. The great-niece of the immortal Carmen Amaya was assigned the venue reserved for artists who are lesser-known than those who perform in the Villamarta Theater. Nevertheless this young woman proved to have enough strength and charisma to occupy any stage. She began with a strong siguiriya, clearly defining her style which is especially based on footwork with little arm movement (perhaps her weakest point), energy and an enviable sense of rhythm, in addition to quite a personal approach which incorporates elements of her great-aunt Carmen Amaya. Above all, she radiates a mysterious aura that evokes the legendary artist of the Somorrostro.
Wearing a short bolero jacket and trousers, she came on stage to dance alegrías, again evoking her artistic point of reference. This dance went on for more than twenty minutes. Karime’s polished technique and great sense of rhythm allow her to toy with the tempos giving an impressive sense of being in control. Noteworthy was the singing of Rubio de Pruna who is a wonderful reference point, making everything easier for the dancer. Between dances, and perhaps a negative point, were the instrumental interludes that occasionally caused the show to lose its pace. Karime ended her performance with soleá. The cante created the ambience, and she picked right up on it, taking it to her own zone where voice and dance were perfectly synchronized and engaged in a dialogue. Her body stylishly rounded off each cante, and her feet were brilliant. A standing ovation showed the audience’s appreciation for this dancer. Karime Amaya is an interesting performer who freshens the panorama of young dancers who at times appear excessively repetitive. Teatro Villamarta Video Dance: Andrés Peña, Pilar Ogalla; Cante; David Palomar, Londro; Guitar: Ricardo Rivera, Javier Patino; Piano: Alberto Miras; Sax: Antonio Lizana; Trumpet: Lipi Calvo; Percussion: Javier Catumba; guest artists: Jesús Bienvenido, Esther Weekes. The Villamarta Theater filled up at nine o’clock for the work of Jerez dancer Andrés Peña with Cádiz dancer Pilar Ogalla titled “El Aire que me Lleva”. Reading the program I discovered the show is intended to be about the experiences of these artists in their travels throughout the world…otherwise it would not have been possible to figure out the logic behind the crazy quilt of styles presented in the show.
Pilar knew how to display her art with great elegance and sensuality. Her multifaceted ability allowed her to mark out milongas and an Argentine tango in a very personal and delicate way. The duet dances of cantiñas and bulerías with saxophone and choruses awakened a certain general sense of climax that closed the performance in a very exciting way. Nevertheless, between all the song changes…martinetes, a version of “I’ve got Rhythm”, the Romance of Rey Sol, rancheras, fandangos de Huelva…I began to feel like this couple during their travels: being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. With a show that was a little too long, and so many comings and goings in an effort to please everyone, they forgot that they only really need to please themselves.
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